POLL: Have you been bit by a BP?

Wonder if any of these Royal bites were due to touching a rat /mouse prior to handling ??

Smell of rodent and warm skin ?


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Wonder if any of these Royal bites were due to touching a rat /mouse prior to handling ??

Smell of rodent and warm skin ?


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Mine most certainly was! lol

<><Peace

My girl bit me a little over a year and a half ago one time but I was having an argument with my boyfriend and it was also her feeding day so I was trying to take her out while feeling irritated I guess she felt nervous about me being angry and bit me on my pointer finger took her a little while to release but finally she did. Haven't been bit since than.

Just once when my little Crowley was a baby and it was after feeding him, it was my fault as I smelled of rat.

Not yet by that one. I haven't had him more than a few weeks. But, I'm terrified. Hatchlings STRESS ME OUT! I hate the thought that I'll flinch and hurt him.

I did get my second bite today, by the adult cornsnake. I laughed and apologized. Was in the viv with a mouse in my hand, and then, distracted....Oh, the water needs changing! This is a planted ExoTerra - a thick jungle of Potos and English Ivy, and that water dish is located at the very back.

SMH, about as dumb a thing to do, as it gets. Starbuck took his meal just fine, however.

I've only had my first bp for five months now (which I know isn't very long in comparison to many on this thread), but I have luckily not gotten bit. Honestly, I've never even had him hiss or strike at me. He doesn't strike that quick even when it comes to mice. He seems to have a very chill temperament.

I do have to say I've learned a few examples of what not to do from this thread, haha.

Been bit several times, I think it’s quite funny when they do, I just laugh at it. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4609385a38.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...84ac96bb63.gif


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Not yet

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Have had several strike at me but none hit

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I want to get bit by one so that I know what it feels like but I want it to be one that's not mine!

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Yes, just this past Saturday morning. I fed Friday night and Piper didn’t eat her second mouse after “killing” it (f/t). I reached in to take out the mouse the next morning and she tagged my finger. Didn’t even bleed.

I’ve actually never been bitten by a BP, or any other captive snake, that I can remember. But by black rat snakes, garters, etc. outside, yes.


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My boy is pretty docile but there have been two strikes while feeding. The first one was my first time feeding him and I’m assuming he just got overwhelmed, the second time he just missed the mouse and got my hand instead!

Nope. But I don't fear it.

Been bit by a boa twice but never my balls.


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You mean they actually have teeth? :rofl:

I was just bitten (nibbled) about 30 minutes ago in fact.

Only once and that was when I got my first ball python and it did't slip my mind that I shouldn't hold them if I've touched a pet rat....

Yes. It was my fault


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Yes my boi has bitten me but he thought I was food. I smelt like food.

Yeah I was bit a mere one time but that’s because stupid me aligned my hand with chest snake after smelling like mouse. He let go though, think he realized it was my hand and not the mouse that he was smelling, LOL!

I remember the first time I ever got bit by a bp. I had taken in a rescue and was in a hurry to feed him cause I had to go out. I threw in the rat and realized it was in a bad spot so used my hand to move it, lol..

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Originally Posted by Miranda2

I remember the first time I ever got bit by a bp. I had taken in a rescue and was in a hurry to feed him cause I had to go out. I threw in the rat and realized it was in a bad spot so used my hand to move it, lol..

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Or what I call a "teachable moment" lol... (scent + motion + warmth = bite! :D )

Once so far for me. It was my fault (as usual) - I thought her head was inside a hide with the rest of her body while I reached in to rearrange some things. But her head was actually poking out and hidden by a plant, and she thought my dangling hand was food so she struck. A good reminder to be more careful next time!

See The Chronicles of Chompy thread in the pics section...:rofl:

he bit me once but only when he was hungry and i was very sweaty so i probably smelled more like food than me! learned my lesson about handling when im sweaty after work

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...105_224040.jpg
Here is 1 of 3 times of being bit, 95% sure from picking it up when I should've fed it 😅

So today I needed help moving my tank around so I call my brother over. He's handled my BP before and has never been bit. He pulls my snake out, supports correctly, is super calm and the snake IS relaxed - no tension, tongue flicking, etc. My snake was fed 3 days ago, so he shouldn't be nippy. Sure enough, my snake is roaming on my brothers arm, faces his hand and slowly bites his hand, then tightens its body. My brother knew what to look for and didn't see it coming, and this isn't the first time my snake has done this (its bit me like this a few times). To get it to release we run its head under cold water and put it back into its tank. THEN - this has never happened before - the snake starts dunking its own head in its water bowl for about 5 minutes before it roams its tank. Does anyone know what that is about???

None of mine have bitten me yet... and one is a hatchling, so I was really expecting her to be more defensive... I cut myself a little on my Sam's tooth once while checking for a URI, but I guess that doesn't count :P


...that said, when I eventually get bitten, I'm about 99.999% sure it will have been my fault :D

I went years without a bite even with 20 odd snakes including Retics , baby Boas , Kings and Burms .. then I got tagged a few times in a couple of weeks . . Think it was just a combination of complacency and tiredness

I was done by a Woma python ( feeding time ) , Albino boa who was in shed but I hadn’t realised and a Florida King whilst taking photos of a few snakes and not washing my hands in between


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I got bit by my first BP when i was younger. Other than that I've been bit by wild king snakes and that's about it.

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Bit once, poor shed when I inherited her, eye caps stuck, she hit my finger rather than the mouse! User error, has never happened again!

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By a BP? I’ve only been bitten once. Years ago, I thought this particular animal wasn’t going to eat, so I tried to grab the dead rat (it was f/t) from her enclosure. She, in fact, DID NOT want her food taken away from her [emoji28]


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Yep. My normal buy was Very defensive when I first got him. He is good now though.

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Ball Pythons are generally quite docile. However those who have been mistreated (like my current rehab project) or are hungry, in shed, etc. can bite. It doesn't hurt very much at all, mostly like any snake bite the speed is a bit startling if you've never been bitten before.

In four years, the only other strike was due to my son coming in too fast from above/front. That time, Cinnamon let go of him, immediately... a defensive bite.

In retrospect, Cinnamon had shed in the day or two prior and hadn’t eaten in over a month. I was anxious about it and in a hurry, because it was getting too late at night. I had handled the rat to ensure it was thoroughly warmed. I used a short 4” hemostat to offer it. The snake struck PAST the rat and grabbed hold of the thumb on my opposite hand, at least a foot past the rat... and coiled up, constricting around it. That caused it to bleed pretty good.

The shock was far worse than the bite. It hurt a little with a larger snake, but it’s very tolerable. The bite left tiny pinholes in opposing U shaped jawline patterns. Recovery/healing was very fast. I took the normal precautions of washing the wound and applying antibiotic salve to stave off any infection. I had no pain as it healed and three days later you couldn’t tell what had happened.

The bigger problem was how to get the snake to RELEASE me after biting, since my thumb was going to become dinner. I wasn’t sure what to do. With the adrenalin lowering in my system and rational thought returning- I realized that forcing/prying could end up in injury and a bigger loss of trust, so I ended up going into the bathroom and put her briefly under the faucet with some cold water, barely dribbling.. and she IMMEDIATELY unlatched.

We’ve been staring at each other with hurt looks through the enclosure door, for about two weeks, now... but it’s time to get back on the bus and try again. Once she eats, she’ll feel better and be happier... then, after a couple of days, I will start handling her again in order to rebuild trust.

I've now been tagged 2x, both by hungry young pastels, one looking for food and one when I removed food he hadn't taken. Both hit me quick once and backed right off, couldn't really feel anything, those teeth are tiny.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

I've now been tagged 2x, both by hungry young pastels, one looking for food and one when I removed food he hadn't taken. Both hit me quick once and backed right off, couldn't really feel anything, those teeth are tiny.

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Odd enough my best EVER Royal feeder was a Pastel .. he ate every time plus any leftovers.. . I had to use a hook to get him out as he was insatiable.. lovely once out of course


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Odd enough my best EVER Royal feeder was a Pastel .. he ate every time plus any leftovers.. . I had to use a hook to get him out as he was insatiable.. lovely once out of course


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The one was an acquaintances that I had for a year, the other the rescue I took in last year. What's interesting is both of them are/were great feeders for me, never the slightest issue but both were in poor condition when I got them, stuck shed, severely underweight, "wouldn't eat". Nothing wrong with the snakes and everything wrong with their setups and temps.

I have had 3 ball pythons and a current boa constrictor and never gotten bit. I came really close once, but to my surprise, the ball python didn't even open its mouth. It just lunged at me and hit me with its head lmao.

Never by a ball python. One defiantly would If I let him. I just approach him properly to avoid it. The other 13 for comparison are fine. No caution needed, maybe except at feeding time for a few.

Approach him properly? for me that means covering him with my hand, not from the front, swiftly and confidently but not too fasts. Then gently scooping him up in my hands.
That has worked for me for many snakes. Once up and held securely, not many snakes would want to bite the tree they are in.

Admittedly I have not been fast enough for a few other snakes in my past.

We should really restart this poll.... Or allow us to change our answer.

One by feeding time, she missed the rat and face planted in substrate, she had been on hunger strike for 2 months but as soon as I opened viv and put rat in wasn’t even near her yet she was asleep but her head soon wipped around and struck instantly didn’t aim didn’t take take just bam but missed. Got a piece of coco husk stuck in her mouth and had no choice to remove it. Being in a crazy feed mode she was rather snappy, removed the substrate got bit and then she ate her rat


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jamiekerk

One by feeding time, she missed the rat and face planted in substrate, she had been on hunger strike for 2 months but as soon as I opened viv and put rat in wasn’t even near her yet she was asleep but her head soon wipped around and struck instantly didn’t aim didn’t take take just bam but missed. Got a piece of coco husk stuck in her mouth and had no choice to remove it. Being in a crazy feed mode she was rather snappy, removed the substrate got bit and then she ate her rat


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So in other words, you were the appetizer? :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

So in other words, you were the appetizer? :rofl:

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Yeah I had no choice but to stick my hand in while she was trying to feed she had a piece of coco husk stuck in her mouth :( don’t blame her she’s just a animal. She has a crazy feed response when she’s hungry. I’ve had ball python you have to dance the rat around o not her she darts out fast.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jamiekerk

Yeah I had no choice but to stick my hand in while she was trying to feed she had a piece of coco husk stuck in her mouth :( don’t blame her she’s just a animal. She has a crazy feed response when she’s hungry. I’ve had ball python you have to dance the rat around o not her she darts out fast.


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Oh I truly understand, we've all "been there" when feeding goes wrong- just another day as a caring "snarent". You made the "supreme sacrifice". :D

And some snakes can mess up ANY presentation of prey, believe me. :snake:

Been bit twice by a ball python and once by a black snake but that was it…the second ball python bite bruised over my knuckle area (where I was bit) and left little teeth marks for a few days but obviously it was minor.


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Maybe [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e26ef2a4b1.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b22cfd2c21.jpg


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I've been bit by snakes on occasion. The worst was from my 6 foot redtail boa. I was carrying her with my shirt off once and something in my movements while I was walking spooked her and she latched onto my side. That one hurt a bit and bled a good bit but never had a bit from a ball python that bothered me at all. They are always pretty mild in my experience and nothing to fear.

I've been bitten by (two specific) babies, but never adults. My brother has had snakes for 6+ years, and was only once bitten by one of his adults, and it was because she missed her prey and got his arm instead.